Adrien Rabiot is still “a long way off” being recalled to the France national team, the country’s Football Federation president has said.
Rabiot has not played for his country since declining the opportunity to be among a standby group of players for the 2018 World Cup.
“I haven’t suspended him. If the coach wants to take him, he absolutely can do that. But that day is still a long way off,” French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet told L’Equipe.
“He’s not playing for his club, and in the France team — in which he has never shown himself to be indispensable — others have taken his place. But everyone handles their career as they see fit.”
France boss Didier Deschamps, who said Rabiot’s World Cup snub was a “massive mistake,” has ignored the ex-Manchester City youth academy player for international games since.
Le Graet added he asked Rabiot to meet him on a number of occasions, but the pair have yet to discuss the issue.
“I approached Adrien for him to come and explain himself in my office,” Le Graet said.
“And it’s Madame Rabiot [the player’s mother and agent] who answered by saying that she wanted to first come alone to the meeting. I told her there was no chance, not even in a dream. It was after he had declined to be a reserve for the World Cup.
“There was a second contact where she told us that this time she would come with her son. It wasn’t what I wanted, so there was no meeting. I wanted to tell him that he was too young to fall out with the France team. But that didn’t happen, and it’s a shame.”
Rabiot, who has six France caps, is a “prisoner” at Paris Saint-Germain, his agent and mother Veronique has said.
The 23-year-old has been suspended by the Ligue 1 leaders until March 27 after being spotted at a nightclub in the wake of the Champions League exit to Manchester United.